Knotted Kite Strings
by lostmarble
Summary: Sesshomaru and Kagome met as children, so Sesshomaru is surprised when, 1000 years later, he sees a miko with the same scent on the ramparts of the palace of one of his shoguns. Is it her? Does she remember him as well? after knotted kite strings
1. You held a warm stone out

"I was just bony hands, as cold as a winter pole  
you held a warm stone out… new flowing blood to hold.  
Oh, what a contrast you were  
to the brutes in the halls-  
my timid young fingers held a decent animal.

"Over the ramparts you tossed  
the scent of your skin and some foreign flowers…  
tied to a brick,  
sweet as a song,  
the years have been short but the days were long.

"Cool of a temperate breeze, from dark skies to wet grass.  
We fell in a field-it seems, now, a thousand summers passed.  
When our kite lines first crossed,  
we tied them into knots,  
and to finally fly apart,  
we had to cut them off.

"Since then it's been a book you read in reverse,  
so you understand less as the pages turn-  
or a movie so crass  
and awkardly cast  
that even I could be the star.

"I don't look back as much as a rule,  
and all this, way before murder was cool…  
but your memory is here and I'd like it to stay-  
warm light on a winter day.

"Over the ramparts you tossed  
the scent of your skin and some foreign flowers…  
tied to a brick,  
sweet as a song.  
The years have been short but the days go slowly by.

Two loose kites falling from the sky,  
drawn to the ground and an end to flight."

_"Pink Bullets"- The Shins_

**Chapter One**

"I was just bony hands, as cold as a winter pole  
you held a warm stone out… new flowing blood to hold.  
Oh, what a contrast you were  
to the brutes in the halls-  
my timid young fingers held a decent animal..."

"Away! You are not wanted here!"

In that moment, my eight-year-old heart shattered. My silver hair streaming behind me, I ran, heedless of direction, not caring where I went, the only thing on my mind was getting away from where I had been before the pieces of my heart were ground so small that they were unmendable and irretrievable.

As I ran, I attempted not to think of the scene that I had left behind. In spite of myself, I saw my father, the Great Inutaisho, gazing lovingly at his human mate, Izayoi, as she glared at me…icy daggers that melted when her husband looked into her eyes, but reformed themselves when he closed his eyes as he kissed her. It was, perhaps, the kiss that was the most painful to my young heart, even more so than her spiteful words. In the two years since my mother, Inutaisho's first, _youkai_, mate, had died, and my father had elevated her from the level of concubine to mate. She had had her son, Inuyasha, a year earlier, and since that day, she had done all in her power to make me feel out of place in my own home. These words, thrown almost carelessly at me over my father's shoulder, were the last drop that broke the water jug. I am not sure if my father followed me, or spoke a harsh word to his woman, but at this point, it is an irreversible fact that he did not appear that day to comfort me. No, that was the undertaking of another…

After running until my legs wore out, I began to feel thirsty. I could sense water nearby, and followed my keen sense of smell to an old well at the base of an even older, gnarled tree. Tears slowing to a trickle, I dipped the bucket into the well, and began to haul it up for a drink, when, from behind me, I heard a small, bright voice.

"Hello there! What are you doing here? My name's Kagome, but you can just call me 'Gome, everybody does. What's your name?"

I turned around. The girl was probably around six, two years younger than me, and had a tangled mass of jet black hair surrounding her head. She looked like the picture of innocence, with a smile on her face and her wide, deep blue eyes.

"Ooh, that's a pretty moon on your forehead." At this point, she noticed the tears on my cheeks, which had not fully dried. "Why are you crying?" asked "'Gome" in a more subdued tone. "Did you hurt yourself?"

By this time, I was wondering who this girl was, and why I had not smelled her before. I must have been too distracted… I furiously wiped away my tears and stated, warily, "I'm Sesshomaru." I bowed slightly, and she bowed back.

"I am pleased to meet you, Sesshomaru. What made you sad, before?"

"It was nothing. I should not have reacted as such a child."

"It's ok, you can tell me! Who'm I gonna tell?"

"My stepmother told me to leave."

"How come? Doesn't she love you?" 'Gome looked comfused.

I snorted, but it came out sounding more like a choked sob. "No, she doesn't."

"How come?"

"I don't know. She wants her some to be more important to…my father than me…I think it might- be working…" I didn't want to tell her that I was a prince…it always scared people away, and right now, I really needed someone to talk to, even if it was the odd human girl. I choked out the last few words, and before I could stop them, new tears welled up in my eyes.

The next moment, I was bowled over by Gome's small form. She wrapped her small arms around my shoulders in a spontaneous hug.

"I'm sorry Sessho-kun! I'm sure that your daddy loves you. Mine sure did." Her face darkened a moment…"he died last year. I miss him lots." Then she brightened up again. "I bet I have something that will make you happy again!"

She pulled from the pocket a round jewel that nearly filled her small palm. It was glowing faintly pink, and the inside looked like it was filled with iridescent clouds. "Whenever I used to get sad, grandpa used to tell me to rub it and I would feel better again. Here, Sessho, you try!" She handed me the jewel.

It was slightly warm under my touch. Feeling slightly silly, I rubbed my fingers over the surface. I instantly felt a warmth course through me, loosening my shoulder muscles, which I hadn't even realized were tense.

"…Wow…thank you very much!" I said, so relaxed that I forgot to act distant and aloof.

"Sure!" she said. "I told you it would help!"

"It sure did!"

Gome stood up, and gingerly straightened her clothes. I noticed her somewhat embarrassed expression and looked at her questioningly. She blushed.

"Grandpa made me dress up for the festival today. These are not as comfy as my normal clothes, but he and mama will me mad if I get dirty."

I surveyed her clothing. It was a simple blue silk kimono that matched her eyes, with small white sakura blossoms embroidered into fabric. I found it entertaining that her kimono matched her scent: sakura blossoms, grass, and sunshine. However, though well chosen, the kimono was nothing that one would not have seen on any given day at the court, and I could not understand the reason for her discomfort. What would she normally wear, if not a kimono?

Wanting to reassure the girl after her kindness to me, I said, "I think you look pretty."

She blushed even redder.

I grinned.

It was the first time all day that my new friend had been silent.


	2. The scent of your skin

**Chapter Two**

"Over the ramparts you tossed  
the scent of your skin and some foreign flowers…  
tied to a brick,  
sweet as a song,  
the years have been short but the days were long. "

* * *

(1000 years later: the present) 

Recently, little has changed in the West. There have been no wars to fight, no lands to conquer, and no great enemies attacking my subjects. The only change in my life has been the recent addition of a child, Rin, who has come to serve as a reminder of a certain other young girl…

She has taken to accompanying me as I patrol my lands, which I do for two weeks of each month. I protect her and ensure her well being as she once tried to do for me when I was wounded. I do not take kindnesses that others grant to me lightly; those that come without strings attached are valuable and few, and my honor does not permit me to let them go unrewarded.

However, today, I decided to leave the castle without her, leaving her in the care of my servant, Jakken. Making my way through my lands, I came to the district of a human shogun. As I drew closer to his palace, I began to sense a powerful, pure force. Since it was my practice to patrol my lands monthly, I felt that I held rather good knowledge of its inhabitants, but this aura was one that I had yet to encounter.

Finally upon reaching the ramparts, the force was so strong that I knew that it had to be a miko, and a strong one at that. There were a few other unfamilliar auras, one that must have belonged to a monk, though its purity paled in comparison to that of the Miko's, that of a yokai—young, and very devoted to the miko—and the last, a feminine one which seemed to hold a sort of grief for the past, and a desire for retribution. I also sensed the aura of Izayoi's son, my half-brother Inuyasha. A brief look of anger crossed my face. Striding forward, I made my presence known to a guard at the gate.

"Go and tell your master that Sesshomaru, his lord, wishes that the miko in his walls present herself to me immediately, and give a viable explaination for her presence on my lands."

He was gone quickly, and, a few minutes later, a female human appeared on the wall.

She was around 17 or 18 years old. She had a tangled mass of jet-black hair surrounding her head. She looked like the picture of innocence, with a smile on her face and her wide, deep blue eyes, but there was a sadness about of her, as though she knew what it meant to love something that you could not have, and had accepted the fact.

The similarity was astounding. I mentally shook myself: doubtless, the girl that I had known had been dead for centuries. I saw her eyes widen slightly when she saw me, and attributed it to the shock of sensing my own aura, which was also a powerful one. I focused my attention on examining her, to see how she had prepared herself to meet one with such a reputation for heartless cruelty as I.

The miko was oddly dressed, with a very short kimono that was cut above her knees. She had a red piece of cloth around her neck, and a quiver of arrows on her back. She was carrying the bow in her hands, no doubt ready to attack me should I threaten her. She had a small, brightly colored one-strapped pouch hanging from one shoulder. How odd…what could possibly fit into such a small bag?

The girl seemed to make a decision. With another glance at me, she pulled a flower from her hair, a type of flower that I had never seen before. She drew a small knife from her pouch and, hesitating for a moment, made a slashing motion in the vicinity of her wrist. I saw her colbalt eyes glisten slightly as she did this. She then tied them around a stone from the wall, using them to bind the flower to the stone. Finally, she pulled a tattered, brightly colored piece of paper from the pouch on her shoulder, and wrote something on it. There were now tears sliding softly down her cheeks. I, not used to such displays of emotion, raised an eyebrow to myself. This, she tucked under the string, and, deeming the odd parcel finished, threw it over the wall in my direction.

At this moment the wind shifted, blowing from behind the castle towards me, andwhipping the miko's hair around her now tear-streaked face, while sending my own silver hair streaming behind me.

My unchanged features belied my growing uncertainty. My confusion at the miko's previous actions was nothing compared to the turmoil that I felt now.

On the wind, I caught the scent of sakura blossoms, grass, and sunshine.

It couldn't be…?

**

* * *

**

**Note:**

Please let me know what you think, I love hearing people's opinions, comments, questions, and even constructive critizisms. I want to do what I can to make this story easier to understand, and better to read.

I know, it's a little confusing right now, and it seems like I skipped a lot in between the first chapter and this one. However, there is a method to my madness …I want to follow the song, but also to give you a few background scenes before I let Sesshomaru tell the story of his past between his childhood and now, because I want to see if you can figure out for yourself how he underwent the transformation from a rather emotional young boy to the frigid, stoic taiyoukai of the west. There will probably be one last snapshot of his past with 'Gome before I will explain it for you.

It should be noted that this takes place rather a while before my first story, but they don't necessarily have to be read together. This will probably end up as installment in something like a series.

Also, thanks for the positive reviews! I'll post responses at the end of each chapter for the reviews people sent me for the chapter prior. And now…  
corruptedmiko: thanks! Glad you like it…and I'll try to update every few days.  
Anonymous bluesilver: wow blush thanks! That's one of the nicest compliments I've received on my writing. I'd be happy to email you when I update, which should (hopefully) be often.  
Jasmine: Well, you'll have to wait and see what happens…I couldn't tell you in advance…even I don't know. The idea started off as the idea for a one shot, but I barely got through the first verse of the song and it was already 2 pages long on my computer, and I have a feeling that that was the shortest chapter, so…we'll see!


	3. When our kite lines first crossed

**Chapter Three**

"Cool of a temperate breeze, from dark skies to wet grass.  
We fell in a field-it seems, now, a thousand summers passed.  
When our kite lines first crossed,  
we tied them into knots,  
and to finally fly apart,  
we had to cut them off. "

* * *

(1000 years ago) 

"Sessho! Wait up! I-" she panted, taking a moment to catch her breath, "I can't keep up with you! You're faster, remember? I want to get there fast, too…but…" she trailed off, still slightly breathless.

I instantly slowed down, and then stopped, waiting for her. "Sorry, Gome! I forgot." Instead of continuing in the direction of the field, as soon as Gome reached me, she sat down heavily on a dirty log. I sat down next to her, seeing the sweat that had begun to form on her brow, and her still quickened breathing. _I forgot, she's human. How could I forget something like that? It was one of the things that mother always told me was the most important…_ I winced. _That I should not grow too close to a human woman, or she might ensnare me. Whatever that means. But Gome's not a _woman_, so…_.

We had only known each other a week or so, but I had already begun to value her company. Now that my father was busy with Izayoi, he had little time for me, and that hanyou pup of hers…not old enough to provide any real companionship. The servants were all frightened of me, so, were it not for Gome, I would have been left to myself. Though I enjoyed the occasional afternoon alone by the reflecting pool, book in hand, the solitude became lonely after a while. Gome had been at my home for just under a week, sleeping in some spare guest quarters. So far, I doubted that anyone in the large palace had even noticed the presence of the young human girl or, if they had, had dismissed her as a new servant or young relative of Izayoi's.

We just sat there together for a moment, silently drinking in the smell of wet leaves and trees.

"Sessho?" Gome began uncertainly.

I glanced at her, then away, but gave her a soft smile.

She seemed a bit surprised by my relaxed attitude, but ploughed ahead. "Are sure you know where we're going?"

"Of course," I said, a but distracted, staring at the pattern that the brief afternoon sun was making through the trees between storms. We were headed for a clearing that I had spotted the day before. I was planning an afternoon of kite-flying with my new friend, but had decided to surprise her. She had mentioned that she liked surprises…

"Are we close?"

"It's just a little further. Ready?"

She nodded silently, and stood up, but winced as she did so. She glanced at her feet, and her eyes filled simultaneously with resolve and tears as she began to walk. _This will slow us down…_ I smiled to myself. _…perhaps not…_

Suddenly, I was standing in front of Gome, blocking her way. "If you needed a longer rest, why didn't you say so?"

Gome flushed in embarrassment. "I didn't wanna slow us down, Sessho! You seemed so eager to get wherever we're going so …" She shrugged.

"You know that we could have stopped."

"I didn't wanna make you hafta wait."

"Here, now you can rest **and** I won't have to wait." I knelt, my back to her. After a moment's hesitation, Gome climbed on. I flew between the trees. Gome let out a shriek of glee as the damp early summer air blew in her face. After a few minutes, I landed carefully, setting her down gently, and a little regretfully. _She is warm,_ I reasoned _and the breeze is chilly._

"Wow, Sessho! That's a neat trick! Can you go way up high, like over the trees? How'd ya do that? Can you teach me?" Gome was nearly bouncing with excitement.

"I can't go that high, yet, but I'm learning. But," I smirked, "I'm pretty sure you couldn't do that, Gome."

She pouted, but soon brightened again when she saw our surroundings. "Wow, it's pretty here!"

A self-satisfied smile crossed my face. _I knew she would like it_. I had chosen the spot, after much consideration, because I knew how much she liked flowers. There were tiny yellow ones all over the field, with a sakura tree in full bloom, hanging over a reflecting pond along the edge. The blossoms fell from the tree into the pond, looking like tiny pink dancers as they landed gracefully on the water. The rain of the night before had made everything glisten, and the colors all seemed brighter, the way they always do just after a heavy rain. I breathed in, catching the scent of the day, or the scent of Gome, I'm not sure which. _I have the feeling that I will never forget the way she smells. It calms me, somehow…_.

"Wait 'till you see what I made you."

Taking her hand, I led her over the pond. There was a large rock under the sakura tree, behind which I had hidden the kites. I had made them the previous afternoon, and was thanking Kami that I had remembered to ask for a waterproofing charm to tie onto them. I pulled them out now, relishing the admiration that shone in her wide eyes.

"You made those? They're so cool!" I frowned slightly, not understanding the word, but Gome didn't notice. "They must have taken forever! Which one is mine?"

Proud that my work was appreciated, I handed her the kite shaped like a brightly colored dragon. Mine was, predictably, a large white dog.

Gome immediately began to run across the clearing, trying to get her kite to take off. Within seconds, it was high in the air, its blue string taut in the breeze. I began to run as well, and my kite was in the air soon after, its golden string and white paper catching the warm light of the afternoon sun. Neither of us paying attention to our direction, so intent were we on watching our kites as they dipped and swirled in the cloudy blue sky above. So, it was to be expected that, after a few minutes of avoiding each other's paths out of sheer luck…

**THUMP**

…we crashed into each other. We laid there for a moment, rubbing our foreheads as the wetness of the grass began to soak through our clothes. Eventually, we both sat up and looked around.  
Gome was still gingerly rubbing her forehead, and I leaned towards her, worried that se might be hurt. Already, a purple bruise was forming where out heads had cracked together. I could feel a similar lump forming on my temple.

Seeing that I was worried, Gome nudged my hand away from her forehead, and placed her fingers over the bruise. She smiled at my confused expression, and her fingers flashed bright pink.

I jumped slightly, surprised, and blinked to clear my vision. The bruise on her forehead was gone.

Gome noticed the bruise on my own forehead, and touched it lightly.

"Owie! Let me kiss it and make it better!" As I blushed profusely, she did just that. As her lips connected with my skin, there was another flash of pink light. When it faded, I touched my forehead gingerly. The bump that had been emerging there was gone.

_How did she…? I thought that only demons, and some very powerful mikos, could heal people…_

Seeing my increasingly confused expression, Gome shrugged.

"I dunno. Grandpa told me that if I get a boo-boo and I wish hard enough, it will go away. So, I wished yours away too."

I gave her one last glance, then shrugged, figuring that it was just another mystery about Gome that I would have to accept. I turned my attention to the kites, to see if they were salvageable. The kites themselves were undamaged, but the strings were hopelessly knotted, making a tangle of blue and gold under the darkening sky. I sniffed. It smelled like it would rain again, and I wanted to gather up the kites and get home before the downpour began.

I walked over to the kites and began to tug at the strings. However, this only tightened the knots, making them even more impossible to untie. Gome noticed what I was doing, and sighed lightly.

"I think we're gonna have to cut them Sessho. Here, let me do it."

She pulled from somewhere a tiny knife and set to work. Though she was able to untie most of the knots, there was a small section that she had to cut apart. She was left with four pieces of string, two from each of our kites. She knotted together the two halves that were left of the strings or each of our kite, and then looked thoughtfully at the four bits of bright string in her hand. Suddenly, her face lit up.

"I know what we can do with these! Here, give me your wrist." I raised an eyebrow, but did as she asked. She tied two strings, a blue and a gold, around my wrist, and then handed me the other two, holding her wrist out. I tied them around her wrist. She grinned.

"There, Sessho, now you can never forget me!"

I glanced at the strings. They glowed slightly for a moment, then faded. I shook my head, trying to clear my vision. I looked up at Gome, a slight smile on my face, despite the odd sense of foreboding the was growing in the pit of my stomach.

"And you'll never forget me either, Gome."

Two days later, she was gone.

**

* * *

**

**Note:**  
I screwed up! I said that this took place before my Sleeping to Dream…I meant after. The first sort of gives you Kagome's point of view, and a glimpse into her feelings for Sesshomaru. She seems surer of how she feels than he does…and he's had 1000 years to think!

Otherwise…only two reviews this time (sob)…

Spdsgirl: thanks, sweetie! I'm glad you can follow. I was a little worried that it was too much of a time jump. Did I really give you goose bumps? Yay! I literally did a little happy dance when I read that. But…I'm sorry to say that you won't learn a lot about the older Kagome until the next part of this series (which is, I now see, what this will be…a series. sigh so time-consuming…but I will do as the characters and plot demand!). However, that should not be too long off…and you'll have some sweet scenes between now and then that (I hope) you will like just as well…  
(p.s. …love your story! Continue on with it. AU is such fun to read, even if I'm no good at writing it…)

toxic: thanks! Glad you like it. For sure, I'll keep on with this one, and maybe, if enough people say that they would like it, I will write other follow-up stories!


	4. All this, way before murder was cool

**Chapter Four**

"Since then it's been a book you read in reverse,  
so you understand less as the pages turn  
or a movie so crass  
and awkwardly cast  
that even I could be the star.

"I don't look back as much as a rule,  
and all this, way before murder was cool…  
but your memory is here and I'd like it to stay  
warm light on a winter day."

* * *

You are likely wondering how these jigsaw pieces of my life form a coherent puzzle. The answer is rather simple. As a child, I was constantly distanced from my family by my stepmother's disdaineven crueltyand my father's apparent indifference. Over the years, my heart slowly froze, I suppose. It was a sort of self-preservation…but a frozen heart cannot heal. Not that I was complaining, I rather liked the numbness, especially since it gave me a sort of privacy. I had always been more happy alone than in the company of others; members of the court were often petty and superficial, both states of being that I find intolerable. However, when others of the nobility thought badly of you, or were envious, they searched for metaphorical (and sometimes literal) chinks in your armor through which to throw barbs at you. The fewer emotions that I felt, the less ammunition they would have. Through centuries of serving as a ruler, I found that this was also the easiest way to keep a firm grasp on power; the less that others know of your weaknesses, the less possibility they will find a way to overthrow you.

So, instead of dwelling on my pastthe only thing that was able to cause me painI focused on ruling my kingdom. Under my rule, it has expanded its borders further than ever it did during the reign of my father. Through the centuries, I have, to my advisors' dismay, refused to take a mate. When asked, I gave the reason that having a mate would distract me, as it did my father. Though this proclamation may have placated my advisers, it failed to fully convince me. Surely I was not expecting the return of a girl who had, doubtless, been dead for nearly a millennium? Still, the ghost of that long-ago summer followed my steps, never further than my shadow, the only memory that I could put out of my mind… perhaps because I do not truly wish to do so. It warmed me, and could pull me out of a foul mood, when little else would keep me from killing every servant in the palace in my wrath.

But I digress. The crux is that my stoic, frigid appearance was more than superficial. Anger was one of the few emotions that I still allowed myself to feel, and that only because it was useful in battle. When I killed, I honestly did not feel pain, or even much remorse…only anger, or nothing at all. I had had such trouble taking a life when I was younger, but I had pushed this pain out of my mind as a part of my childhood: best left forgotten.

This changed, the first chink in my emotional control to melt, both suddenly and slowly…

>- >- >

I had been patrolling my land when I was wounded in battle. In a seemingly isolated, meaningless incident, a young human girl attempted to aid me, and brought me food.

At least, the incident **would** have been isolated, had not her expression been so familiar….

_The girl was probably around six, and had a tangled mass of dark hair surrounding her head. She looked like the picture of innocence, with a smile on her face and wide, deep brown eyes.  
_  
The exact color of the hair and eyes may have been different, but the overall similarity was enough to momentarily throw me. Then I noticed the bruises covering her thin body. This difference was enough to bring me back to reality, and I froze over again, acting more coldly towards the girl than was probably necessary, as she had, for whatever reason, been trying to aid me. I parted with her rather abruptly, feeling an odd aching sensation threading its way through my abdomen when I closed my eyes and saw the bruises on her small frame.

I had hoped that that would be the end of the matter, but I was mistaken.

Not long after, I came upon the same girl again, but in quite a different state. Her dark hair was matted with blood…actually, her young body was covered in it. Her clothes were torn, and I could see the many cuts that had come from the fatal struggle. It was little different from other scenes of death that I had seen over the years, many of which I had caused, but for some reason, my stomach clenched, and my sword hummed at my side. Coming to my senses, I remembered its power, and, barely considering my actions, sliced through the girl's unmoving frame.

Suddenly, her chest rose as air rushed into her lungs, and the many cuts and bruises on her skin healed. Waxy pallor was replaced with the warmth of life.

>- >- >

Since then, the girl has traveled with me, and sees me as her Lord and protector. Her presence has warmed me slightly. _It is almost as though I were spending time with, and protecting_…but I always reminded myself that she was not the same girl. Whenever I did so, I could replace my stony façade.

The façade was belied only by the two bright strings around my wrist, which, through the years and centuries, had somehow neither faded nor broken off, rather, they seemed to have stretched to accommodate their wearer. I kept them covered under the sleeve of my kimono, not wanting to expose myself to questioning, but also to protect myself from bringing the memory too near. However, between these and the small girl, the memories followed closer than ever before, always on my mind and giving me scarce a moment's peace.

Therefore, when I encountered the hauntingly familiar miko in the castle, and smelled sakura blossoms and grass on the breeze, my emotional barriers were stretched nearly to the breaking point…

* * *

so...I may get flamed since this is a break from the story line. and you may not like that he was talking directly to the reader but...this seemed the best way to show his take on his earlier life...or else it would read like a replay of the anime. I thought that some insight was needed as to how he _felt_ about his earlier life, since you can never really tell. This chapter was one I had already written and I was debating whether or not to put it in...but it seems as though the explanation of Sesshomaru's character transition was in order.

What I want for yall to remember is that, during most of the story, he is only 8 years old. There had to be a point at which he _became_ coldpeople are not born that wayat least, I think that there was probably something that caused it, this desire to shelter himself emotionally by appearing emotion_less_. From my point of view, he was steeling himself against further painhe gained and lost his last true friend at age 8...that is a lot for a child to bear. Even a demon child. Combined with what I interpret as his father's new devotion to Izayoi, a woman who disliked him and treated him badly, he would either be scarred for life or become cold as ice. Given his inherent traits and character, he became the latter (I pulled that idea from Emerson's "Fate"...)hidden loneliness over constant emotional pain.

I hope that this helped clear things up...the action will resume in the present again with the next and final chapter of this part of the story.

Also, if you review, I WILL respond from now on…and since I know for a fact that over 200 of you have read this, and only 2 reviewed, I would like feedback on what you like, what I could do better, general comments, anything!


	5. An end to flight

**Chapter Five**

"Over the ramparts you tossed  
the scent of your skin and some foreign flowers  
tied to a brick  
sweet as a song  
the years have been short but the days go slowly by…"

* * *

(Present)

…I breathed again, deeply.

And I caught the scent again, _her_ scent…but this time, I smelled her tears on the breeze.

This snapped me to attention, and I finally moved into action, catching the plummeting stone before it reached the hard, brown earth.

I looked down at the stone in my hand, the flower and paper still securely bound to it by two strings….

One a deep blue, like her eyes, one shining gold, like mine.

They had twisted together, the two forming one binding.

She had cried at cutting them off.

_Did she still...?_ For the first time in recent memory, I was afraid. Afraid what her feelingstowards me might be, afterso long. Could it really even be her, after so many years?

A sakura flower. _Her _flower—Gome's, from so long ago.

Seeing again in my mind's eye a field of yellow blossoms, overlooked by a tree bearing flowers so like these, an ache formed in my throat, a vestige of the emotions that I had thought I had buried under layers of ice, along with my heart and memories.

Apparently not.

Rather than prompt any more of this lovely introspection, I transferred my gaze to the slip of paper, slowly daring to hope.

She had been so far in the distance that I had not seen the detail on the paper as she was attaching it to the rock. I had only known that it was brightly-colored, with some sort of a pattern. Now, I was finally able to examine it at close range.

There, in my hands, was an old, faded edge of paper—edges torn. On it, I could see the faint brushmarks, painted by my own hand so long ago to look like scales.

_So… _

Frozen heart in my throat, I unfolded the piece of my past, revealing what was written there.

_**I remember. Do you?**_

I strained my sharp eyes toward the castle wall. Wild black heir blowing still about her head, she was still watching me, tense. Blue eyes narrowed against the wind, her arms crossed to keep her warm. Motionless. Waiting to see my reaction. She had bared her past, left herself open to me, a stranger that she had only seen from a distance as I fought my brother for the tatsuiga. Recognition had not hit her till now: after all, who would connect the (relatively) emotional, youthful, fun-loving youth that I had been with the cold, intimidating taiyoukai who had garnered a reputation for his utter I lack /I of outward emotion?

In that moment, I made a decision. A conscious choice. For the first time in years…

I smiled.

* * *

"…two loose kites falling from the sky  
drawn to the ground and an end to flight."

* * *

the end! of this part, anyway. If you'd like to read more of this series, I'd love to write more. But I need to know...do you think it would be better to leave it where it lies? Review or email to let me know your opinion!

A gigantic "Thanks" to those who reviewed, and for putting up with the world's longest case of writers' block. It was a long haul, but I made it! Hope it was worth the wait, dears!


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